Machine for compressing cables



(Ro l l l afd e l.) v 2Sh eets-Sheet 1;

' J. BRADY.

v V 'M'aohine for Co'mpressing'flables.

No. 236,929,, Patented Jan. 25,1881.

It FETERS,'FHOTO UTHDGRAPNER, WASHINGTON. D. C-

No ModeI'.) I 2 SheetsSheet 2.

- BRADY.

I Mdchin'e for Compressing Gables. NO; 236,929. Patented Jan. .25, 1881;

"FIG--3- WITNESSES: INVENTUR= N PETERS, PHOTOVIIJTHOGRAFHER, WISQHNGTON. D c.

UNITED. STATES PATENT. OFFICE...

JAMES BRADY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR COMPRESSING CABLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,929, dated January 25, 1881.

Application filed August 21, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES BRADY, of Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented USES.

The cables of SUSPQUSlOIl-blidgGS which are formed of parallel wires require, as is well known, to be compressed into compact cylindrical form preparatory to the wrapping with fine wire, which completes the cables. This compression has been heretofore effected by semicircular jaws or clamps, which are tightened upon the cable by connecting-screws, which are operated by men upon a hangingplatform, which travels upon the cables, the clamps being. tightened and loosened alternately and advanced upon the cable step by step to effect the compression step by step as the work of wrapping proceeds.

My invention aims to provide a mode of and means for compressing the cable which will advance continuously thereon and act in a more perfect and automatic manner.

To this end the main feature of myinvention consists in an endless chain or band winding around the cable in one or more spiral turns, and passing over guide-sheaves carried on a wheel rotatable on the cable, with a means of tightening the said band orchain firmly around the cable, so that as thesaid wheel is rotated upon the cable the endless band winds upon and'unwinds from the cable, and advances thereon, and compresses the cable in a slow continuous serpentine manner with great force and accuracy.

Figure 1 of the drawings annexed represents the rotatable or essential part of my compressingfmachine, viewed in line with the cable, which is shown in section, as is also part of the machine. Fig. 2is a longitudinalside elevation of the apparatus, the rotatable wheels of the compressing-machine being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a transverse section across two parallel cables, showing an endview of the apparatus applied thereto.

As illustrated,the main part of the machine consists of two great wheels, (1. a, rotatable upon the cable I). These wheels are fastened rigidly together, as indicated in the drawings, or in any other suitable manner, at a number of points, a space being left between them. Sheaves d d are arranged between the wheels at diametrically opposite positions, which are free to revolve on the fixed bolts which connect the wheels together, and a third sheave, t, is free to turn in an adjustable block, 0, which is ca pable of sliding radially in or out between the wheels, the block being thus adjusted by the screw 6.

f indicates an endless belt, of any suitable kind, preferably achain of metal links, each link being curved tocorrespond with the circumference of the cable, as illustrated. This chain makes one or more spiral turns or winds around the cable, as fully shown in Figs. 1 and 2, passes over the guide-sheaves d d, and its bight or toggle-loop part passes around the adj ustable sheave i, so that by adjusting said sheave outwardly,by turn in g the screw 6, the chain may be strained or tightened to cause it to firmly embrace the cable with a uniform circumferential grasp, which will compress it to the required density and to the true cylindrical form.

It may now be readily seen that if the wheels aa/ are revolved while the chain is thus tightened on the cable, the chain will wind upon the cable at one side and unwind from the opposite side, and thus advance slowly, but continuously, along the cable in a helical or serpentine manner, carrying the wheels with it, and thus compressing the cable, as it advances thereon,with the certainty and power of a screw, so that the compressed part of the cable may be wound with the wrapping-wire as fast as the compressing-machine advances, and immediately following its advances, thus enabling the cable to be compressed and wrapped in a steady and continuous manner, and in obviousl y a quicker and more perfect manner than by the step-by-step clamping system heretofore employed.

It may also be seen that while the serpentine chain thus advances upon the cable it does not actually turn upon the cable, so as to submit it to any circumferential rubbing or friction, which would be inadmissible; but it simply winds and unwinds, and thus advances on the cable with an infolding serpentine grasp, which efl'ectually compresses the bundle of wires forming the cable into compact cylindrical form ready for wrapping, without injuring the surface of the wires, the action of this device being, hence, peculiarly adapted for the purpose of my invention.

The compressing-machine may be operated, as described, by men standing on a platform, k, which is hung from and travels on the cable as the work progresses, the wheels a a of the compressing-machine being grasped and rotated by means of handles projecting from their peripheries, as illustrated. These wheels, however, may be operated in any other suitable way, by either manual or steam power, and their peripheries may be cogged with spur or Worm teeth, to engage with a driving pinion or worm operated by a hand-crank or by a steamengine, or in many other ways which will suggest themselves to practical men.

It may be also observed that the supporting-platform is so hung from the cable that its weight tends to partly compress the same in advance of thecompressing-machine, and thus assist the action of the latter. Thus the advancing roller 1, which rests on top of the cable, is journaled on a lever, m, the short arm of which connects, by a pendent link, 12, with a similar roller, 1", underlying the cable, while its long arm is jointed to the standard which rises from the platform. Hence the weight of the platform and its contents tend to cause the rollers to approach with great power and compress the cable between them, preparatory to the final compression of the compressingmachine which follows. These compressingrollers, however, are notesseutial, and may or may not be used.

The platform may be forced along the cable, as the work proceeds, by the advance of the compressing-machine; but it is preferably propelled in some independent manner-say, by its own gravity in descending the curve of the cable, and by the winding in of a line connected with the bridge-towers or anchorages in ascending the curves, or by revolving the supporting-rollers upon the cable by suitable power.

The hub of the advancing wheel a of the compressing-machine, as seen in Fig. 2, has an opening slightly tapered and sufficiently large to turn freely in the loose part of the cable without friction on the wires, but the hub of the following wheel turns on a non-rotating sleeve, 8, which embraces the compressed part of the cable, and is forced along the same as Now, the work of wrapping the cable circumferentially with wire the compression advances.

follows immediately after the sleeve 8. This wrapping may be effected in the usual way by a hand-wheel turning on the cable and carrying a coil of wire which is wound closely on the cable as the wheel is turned. The coils of wrapping-wire may, however,be carried on the wheel a of the compressing-machine, as seen in Fig. 2, a sufficient number of coils being provided, so that several wires wind on the cable simultaneously, to make up the same pitch as that of the compressing-chain, and thus wrap the cable closely. But one coil, however, may be carried on a wheel, which may be so geared with the wheel of the compressin g-inachine as to revolve at a more rapid rate, so as to closely wrap the cable with a single wire as fast as the com pressing-chain advances.

Each compressing-machine may have an independent platform traveling independently on each cable; but I prefer to have theplatforui hung from and traveling on both cables, as shown in Fig. 3.

What I claim as my invention isl. A machine for compressing cables, con sisting of a wheel rotatable on or around the cable, and an endless chain or band adapted to make one or more coils around the cable, and passing over suitable guiding and straining devices fixed to said wheel, whereby the rotation of the wheel causes the chain to continuously wind upon and unwind from the cable, and to advance thereon with the wheel, infolding and compressing the cable in a continuous serpentine manner, substantially as herein set forth.

2. A machine for compressing cables, constructed with an operating platform suspended from the cable, and a pair of rollers adapted to advance upon the cables, and connected together and to the platform by means substantially such as described, whereby the weight of the platform causes said rollers to approach, and thereby compress, or partly compress, the cable between them, substantially as herein set forth.

3. A machine for compressing cables, consisting of the wheel a, rotatable around the cable, endless band f, adapted to coil spirally around the cable, and the tightening-sheave 2'. arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES BRADY.

Witnesses:

EDWARD H. WALES, CHAS. M. Hmems. 

